Get my lastest post delivered to your email inbox!

Search This Blog

WBMW

Gilbert Mormon Temple: A Rare Glimpse by Local TV Station

(Update below) Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints often cringe when we find out that sources outside of the Church have done a report about Mormon temples and what goes on inside, knowing from experience that more times than not, certain aspects of temple worship are not presented accurately and rather than help perpetuate the false perception that what Mormons do in temples is in someway mysterious. But not this time. ABC15 in Arizona has done a stellar job of producing a four-part special, totaling 30 minutes, about LDS temples, and in particular the new Gilbert Temple, entitled: The Gilbert Mormon Temple: A Rare Look Inside.And from what I understand, those in charge of the LDS Gilbert Temple news report were insistent on getting everything right and took the necessary time and effort to do just that. The local special aired in conjunction with the beginning of the Gilbert Temple Open House that is currently taking place now through February 15th in order to educate the public about Mormon temple worship and what happens inside an LDS temple after it is dedicated and closed, forever, to the public. The Gilbert Temple will be dedicated on March 2, 2014, in three session. Tickets are still available to anyone who would like to tour the temple prior to the dedication. Free reservations can be made here.

You can view all four of the Gilbert Temple videos right here...

Video: Inside the Gilbert Temple Part I

Video: Inside the Gilbert Mormon Temple Part II

Video: Inside the Gilbert Mormon Temple Part III

Video: Inside the Gilbert Mormon Temple Part IV

Update 3/1:
The Gilbert Temple Cultural Celebration, featuring over 12K LDS youth, will be given unprecedented, live, television coverage by the local ABC News affiliate. They will also provide a live-stream, online, here:http://www.abc15.com/live. The program begins at 7 p.m. MST.

This event is taking place at Discovery Park in Gilbert, located just across from the Gilbert Temple. President Thomas S. Monson and President Henry B. Eyring are expected to attend.

I'm interested in the statement that many sources "perpetuate the false perception that what Mormons do in temples is in someway mysterious."

True, not "everything" that happens in a Mormon temple is mysterious, but to say that there are not major elements of the Mormon temple ceremonies - particularly marriage ceremonies - that are not mysterious, i.e., purposely held secret by those initiated into its ranks, is disingenuous.

Secrets are fine. There are many things we Orthodox Christians do that we do not care to attempt to explain to the uninitiated public and relegate to the category of "mystery." There's no shame in having mystery.

To Eric Hyde, dh and I were married in a Mormon temple. Dressed in white clothing, we knelt across an alter facing one another and held hands while the officiator asked each of us in turn if we would take each other to be our husband/wife for time and all eternity. After we both said "yes", we stood up and kissed each other, and then everyone else in the room congratulated us and wished us well in our marriage. 'Not sure how this is different from other Christians who also kneel at an alter to be married. I hope this helps clear up the mystery for you. Things in the temple are not secret or mysterious. They are sacred.

I think that marriage ceremonies are not intended to be mysterious or secret. All those who are worthy members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can view and celebrate this ceremony with the two who are being married. Marriage in an LDS temple is considered a "sealing" where a man and wife are sealed to each other before God. LDS members also believe that their marriage, by the authority of a Priesthood member who seals them together, lasts for eternity, even after death. This is based on the principle that the LDS believe that the family is the most important unit and that families can be together forever, in life and after death.

It's not so much viewed as secret as it is sacred to LDS members. A Mormon won't hide what happens in the temple. I've never felt that that has been an issue. We believe the temple is a place to be close to God, and we realize that that is a very sacred thing, so we hold the temple in the closest places in our hearts, and they are very special to us. But why have this happiness and hide it or keep it mysterious? It has always been a pleasure to share anything I can about the temple for those who are not members.

I respect what you believe and I sincerely appreciate the time you take to regard the beliefs of others. I mean no offense, and I hope this is received well. Here are some other things that happen in the temple:

Thank you for the well-written post. The two things you wrote which I like best are, "I sincerely appreciate the time you take to regard the beliefs of others," and "I hope this is received well." It's wonderful to see your consideration for others!

Though I would still like to learn more, I enjoy it when my research leads me to some information about other faiths. It's nice to have the knowledge, and a pleasure to share that which is good, whether it be of my faith or another. As a wise person recently told me, "Regardless of the God you believe in, the truth is we all come from the same One." Thank you for being an example of the Believers, and for sharing a good example of how to share the Gospel of Happiness.

I agree with Eric. Some secrets are fine. They are how we protect sacred things from the masses who would not understand them and therefore not give them the respect they deserve. Milk before meat. happilyeverafter's description of the marriage ceremony is accurate, but she does not go into every detail, because some of exactly how it is done (the wording of the covenants, etc) is in fact secret to keep it sacred. People like to say "it's not secret, it's sacred," but this is misleading. Certain things are both. It's not either or.

I think Eric Hyde is right. There are definitely things about the Mormon temples that are "mysterious" and that is not a "false perception." It is the perception because people can't figure out or learn about everything that happens in the temples, so that's a mystery to some people. I don't think "mystery" has a negative connotation.

I am very intrigued by Jess' comment that she is willing to share everything about the temple with non-members. Other people who have gone through the temple have specifically said they can't/won't reveal some things that happen in there. Jess' seems like an outlying if not totally exceptional POV.

Thank you for posting this. I live far away and was glad to see this news special about the LDS church. I have been a member all of my life and I am so happy to see another temple going up. Thanks again for sharing.

Hi. I am from Costa Rica. I am in Costa Rica. It was amazing to watch this beautiful TV article about what member from our church believe and we do inside temples. I rally want to appreciate the media to show the reality. Now, people can have a real perception about our Savior church. As a member, we allow other people to have the same freedom to believe in their won principles. This is my personal opinion. So grateful to have the opportunity to watch these amazing videos, thanks to the reporters and the channel.

The correct spelling of your first misspelled word is "sacred." The correct spelling of your second misspelled word is "different." "Secret people" is likely the product of a lack of punctuation rather than an intended term.

Neither "<3" nor any other emoticon is sufficient to offset a blatant disregard for the importance of spelling and punctuation. However, it may be that you simply have poor eyesight. Since it was obviously unclear the first time, I hope you now understand monsterofmud's repeated reply. :)

I am curious as to what could have possibly prompted orangeorange marmalademarmalades response. It seems completely inappropriate given the tenor of the comments that preceded it and says much more about the sender than the subject at hand. I love going to the temple and find it a wonderful place to enjoy the spirit and draw closer to the Savior as we serve others. I am glad that the people in Gilbert will be able to have a temple close by to bless their lives. I am also grateful for the care that was taken to accurately represent Mormon temples and temple worship and for the generosity of spirit shown by local religious leaders to recognize the value of this temple to the Mormon people in their community. There is much more to be gained by focusing on those things we have in common and appreciating those things which are unique and positive to each faith.